Career and Academic Planning coordinates academic advising for all first year students and undeclared students; assists students in choosing or changing their major and deciding upon a career direction; and provides a variety of job search programs and services.

Academic Advising
Academic advising is vital to student success. The adviser assists students in shaping their educational experience to meet specific intellectual, personal and career goals. Advisers do not decide the student's goals or program, but help students learn how to develop appropriate goals, make good choices that enhance learning and personal growth, and succeed in and out of the classroom.

During summer orientation, all new students are assigned to faculty or professional advisers who discuss with them the university's various programs of study, academic policies and procedures, advanced placement/exemption testing, and registration procedures. At that time, students plan their course of study and register for fall semester classes. Advisers continue to work with first year students until midway through the spring semester, at which time first year students that have declared a major are assigned to advisers in their academic unit. Students remaining undeclared are assigned to a professional adviser in Career and Academic Planning. First year students must declare their major by the beginning of their sophomore year. Refer to Page 25 for information on declaring a major.

JMU students are responsible for the educational choices they make, both short and long term, but they can make those choices in a supportive environment. Effective academic advising is a relationship between student and adviser. Students must be aware of their own interests, values and goals; knowledgeable about relevant policies and requirements; and willing to take the initiative to seek assistance when it is needed. Advisers should respond to the student as an individual, be aware of student progress, and help the student make connections between academic choices and career possibilities.

Career Advising and Decision-Making
Career and Academic Planning assists students at various stages of the decision-making process for choosing a major and career. In addition to the availability of professional staff to help students with decision-making issues, other programs and services include the following.

Career and Life Planning Course (IS 202)
The career and life planning course is for first year students and sophomores who want to explore the relationship between academic majors and career fields, identify their major and career interests, and learn effective decision-making strategies for choosing a major and a career.

Major and Career Decision Program
The Major and Career Decisions Program is a series of workshops designed to help students pick a major, decide on a career direction, assess career information and resolve personal issues interfering with their ability to make career plans. Topics covered include career assessment, values, interests, abilities and career information.

Academic and Career Resource Center
The resource center provides information and assistance related to choosing a major and career planning, internship/summer jobs, employer directories, job search tools and career trend information. Resources include books, printed materials, handouts, databases, career software and Web-based information via the resource center computer lab. Information is organized on a self-help basis so that students and faculty may browse at their leisure. Staff members are available to answer questions and help students use resource materials.

Employment and Job Search Services Employer Relations and Recruiting Services
Business, industry, government and educational employers come to JMU throughout the year to conduct job interviews with graduating seniors and students seeking internships. Information about the interview program, participating employers and interview sign-ups is available on the Career and Academic Planning Web site. To interview, students must complete an Authorization Form, submit it to the Recruiting Services office in Sonner Hall and create a profile on MadisonTRAK. To help students prepare for interviews, mock interview sessions with employer participants are held each semester.

Resume Development
Assistance with writing resumes is available to students in many forms. Students may access resume writing support via the Career and Academic Planning Web site. Resume writing workshops and other related services are available throughout the year and students may make an appointment with an academic and career adviser to receive individual assistance. Additionally, a variety of resume guides are available in the Resource Center in Wilson Hall.

Career Fairs
The office sponsors a number of career fair events each year to provide students with the opportunity to interact with employers and obtain employment-related information.

Job Vacancies
A number of national job vacancy publications are available in the resource center, which provides information about job opportunities in a variety of career fields. Web-based job vacancy listings are also available.

Internships
Internships are available with the federal government, other governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities. Students interested in internships should contact Career and Academic Planning or the appropriate academic unit office to obtain additional information. Credit must be arranged in advance with the appropriate academic unit head and the Office of the Registrar.

The Honors Program seeks to meet the educational needs of talented, highly motivated students by offering increased opportunities for an enriched and demanding curriculum. It is administered by the director of the Honors Program and the Honors Program Committee. Under the guidance of recognized teacher-scholars, this program offers students the opportunity to cultivate the habits of critical thinking, independent analysis and creative expression through small classes and independent study. The program offers a setting in which students who share a similar enthusiasm for learning are brought together in intellectual fellowship and provides public recognition for superior academic achievement. Information concerning the Honors Program can be obtained from the director of the Honors Program. The program consists of various modes of study.

Honors Scholars
High-achieving high school seniors are invited to enter the Honors Program as Honors Scholars. Honors Scholars complete a total of 27 hours in honors, including:

Nine credit hours of honors courses in General Education

Six credit hours of electives in courses designated "Honors" or honors options

Six credit hours in interdisciplinary honors seminars or colloquia

Six credit hours of independent study - the senior honors project in the student's major

Honors scholars are expected to maintain at least a 3.25 grade point average. Designation as an honors scholar and graduation with distinction will appear on the student's record after completing the program.

Subject-area Honors
The Subject-area Honors Program is open to first- and second-year students with at least a 3.25 grade point average. Students must also submit an application to the program office in which they give their reason for wanting to participate in the Honors Program. Students who complete the program will graduate as subject-area honors students and graduation with distinction will appear on the students' records. Candidates for Subject-area honors complete at least 24 credit hours in honors, including a six-credit hour senior honors project, six credit hours in honors seminars, and twelve credit hours of electives in honors courses.

Senior Honors Project
Academic units offer eligible students a special opportunity in the senior year to pursue an independent research topic or creative project in their major field. Successful completion of this project results in the awarding of the degree with distinction at commencement. Students not in the Honors Scholars or Subject-area Honors programs are invited to apply through their academic units during their junior year. Admission to the Senior Honors Project Program is limited to juniors with at least a 3.25 average who give sufficient evidence of initiative, originality and intellectual maturity to warrant the expectation of distinction in the program. Acceptance for participation is determined by the director of the Honors Program and the student's major department. Each year awards for the outstanding honors project are given by the Shenandoah Association of Phi Beta Kappa and the JMU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.

Honors Courses
The university offers honors sections in different departments and schools that set the criteria for admission to and the requirements for these honors sections. Information concerning these courses can be obtained from individual academic units or the Honors Program. Students may also receive honors credit for work in regular course sections above and beyond the normal course requirements by agreement between the student, the instructor and the director of the Honors Program.

Honorary Societies
The following honorary and professional societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies maintain active chapters on the JMU campus:

JMU Libraries, consisting of Carrier Library, the Music Library and East Campus Library, support research, study and instruction in the use of information resources at JMU. The Libraries house more than 700,000 volumes, including books, periodicals, and audiovisual materials, and over a million microform pieces. JMU Libraries is also an authorized U.S. Government Document Depository, with access to thousands of selected online and print documents through LEO, the library catalog. In addition to subscriptions to more than 12,800 journals, access to over 2,500 online journals is provided through JMU Libraries' membership in VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia. Items not available within the Libraries or through online resources can be retrieved through Interlibrary Loan with virtually any academic library in the country.

The library Web site is an online gateway to the services and collections of the JMU Libraries. Through the Web site, users can search LEO, connect to around 400 electronic databases, and find research guides highlighting the most important print and electronic sources in numerous subject areas. Services such as e-mail reference and Interlibrary Loan request forms are also available via the library Web site. More than 100 personal computers are located in the Libraries' public areas. Almost all of the online resources on the library Web site can be accessed from any computer on campus, and those with current JMU electronic IDs can configure their browsers to access library resources from any remote location.

One of the Libraries' principal goals is to educate users, especially students, by providing them with lifelong learning skills that will enable them to find, use and evaluate information in all formats. Self-instruction modules, entitled "Go for the Gold," are available on the library Web site and complement instruction sessions offered in library classrooms. Reference librarians are available on a walk-up basis or by appointment to answer questions and assist students with research.

The liaison program links a librarian to each academic unit. Liaison librarians provide a variety of services, including library instruction for course-related activities, collection development and consultation with individual faculty members and students.

The Music Library serves the students and faculty members of the School of Music, as well as offering its specialized resources to the greater university community. The East Campus Library opens in fall 2008. This state-of-the-art facility houses the science, technology and health sciences collections and provides study space for individuals and small groups, reading rooms, and open study areas with casual seating. It also includes a 24-hour study area with a secure entrance, a computer lab and coffee bar.

Media Resources in Carrier Library acquires and houses commercial educational media in video, audio and computer software formats for instruction and study by faculty, staff and students. Faculty and staff can use the media center's reference and rental service to locate program items not already in the collections. The center facilitates scheduling and taping of satellite programming and distributes selected campus-wide software such as Microsoft Office, SPSS, SAS and other applications in coordination with IT Computing Support. Media Resources also provides teaching and learning support to faculty, staff and students through instructional technology available to users of classrooms and other learning facilities. Technical services staff coordinate the development, installation and maintenance of technology systems in general classrooms and many special facilities on campus. Media Resources provides portable equipment, such as laptops, projectors, digital cameras, camcorders and audio recorders, for loan and use in locations without technology. Staff offer training support for users of all installed and portable equipment, as well as repair services for non-computer media technology used on campus.

Computer Literacy
JMU is committed to providing an educational environment that is consistent with current technology in an information society. The university provides all students with the opportunity to have some experience with computers.

The General Education Program requires all students to pass a basic computer proficiency test in their first semester at JMU. Other academic units also offer courses emphasizing computer applications for individual disciplines.

Computer Ownership
JMU strongly supports and encourages student use of computers. At some point in each student's college career, he or she will need to purchase a computer in order to meet the curricular expectations of a particular program. Recommended computer configurations for use in specific departments and majors can be found online.

Semester Abroad Programs
Recognizing its responsibility to provide international experiences to JMU students, the university sponsors semesters abroad in Antwerp, Beijing, Florence, London and Salamanca. JMU students experience life in a different culture and gain direct access to the historical, artistic, and sociopolitical traditions of the environment while pursuing an approved course of study toward the bachelor's degree.

The programs are open to all students in good academic standing. Applicants should have at least a 2.0 grade point average. Special entrance requirements are as follows. For Antwerp, there is no language requirement but applicants must be COB majors. For Florence, at least one semester of Italian is strongly recommended but not required. Students applying for the Salamanca program, where courses are taught in Spanish, are expected to have completed SPAN 231-232 or the equivalent of intermediate Spanish. Students are required to take six hours of Italian during their semester abroad. The Antwerp Program for COB majors is offered during the fall and spring semesters. Students may earn a Marketing Minor during the Summer in Antwerp program and it is open only to non-business majors. Marketing 380 is a prerequisite for this program. Participants in the Summer in Beijing program may earn a Minor in Chinese Business Studies and must take Marketing 380 either before or after participating in the program. The Florence, London and Salamanca programs are offered during the fall, spring and summer semesters. Internships are available as part of the London program.

Students should select a minimum of 15 credit hours (at least three courses in addition to the six-credit language instruction in Florence) and may enroll in a maximum of 18 credit hours. Course offerings vary from semester to semester. The curriculum in each program addresses a broad spectrum of academic interests but is centered around a core appropriate to the special cultural resources of the city or country.

Courses are generally taught twice weekly - one day in the classroom and another day "on site." Classes promote individual cognitive and affective learning through experiential methods, such as studying drama by reading and attending plays, art history by viewing and discussing original works of art in museums and galleries, and political science by observing parliament in action. These instructional activities are covered by the program's fees if the students are registered for academic credit in the courses.

Courses meet the requirements of the corresponding departments and schools and may satisfy some general education requirements at JMU. A student may also arrange an independent study project under the supervision of a JMU instructor. Independent study projects also must be approved by the program director who can judge the topic's appropriateness to the city and the student's language level.

The programs' costs differ but all programs include tuition, housing, a basic food allowance, all course-related travel (including extended weekend trips), instructional events, such as theater, concerts, historical tours, and guest lectures, and some social activities. All programs exclude the costs of students' travel to and from the program site. Loans and scholarships apply, and semester abroad scholarships and assistantships are available. Students live in a central, convenient part of each city and have ready access to the faculty member in residence or the on-site director if any health problems or emergencies arise. Current insurance coverage should be reviewed for its applicability outside the United States. Interested students can get information about study abroad programs from the Office of International Programs.

International Exchange Programs
The university is committed to increasing the opportunities for students' global awareness. Numerous exchange programs with schools and universities abroad are available. JMU's exchange programs are based at prestigious universities around the world, such as LaTrobe University and Flinders University in Australia, University of Leicester in England, Nanzan University and Hiroshima University in Japan, Yonsei University in South Korea, the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain, American University of Cairo and Misr International University in Egypt, Al Akhawayn University of Ifrane in Morocco, American University of Sharjah in UAE, and Malmö University in Sweden. Students interested in business areas may study at the European Business School near Frankfurt, Germany. Language requirements and curricula vary. Exchanges are available to all majors and minors.

Students should consult the Office of International Programs for application deadlines and further information.

Honors Abroad Programs
The university also offers the opportunity to study abroad for a semester or a full academic year at three of Great Britain's oldest and most respected universities, the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford in England and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Participants will take part in tutorials across a wide range of topics and live with and share all of the benefits of regular university students. The Honors Abroad Program is open to all JMU students possessing a 3.3 grade-point average; you do not need to be an honors student to participate in this program.

Summer Abroad Programs
During the summer, many international courses and travel study classes are offered. Specific course offerings and departments and schools vary from year to year. A typical summer schedule might include classes in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malta, Mexico, Montreal, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Scotland and South Africa. Information regarding courses to be offered each summer can be obtained in the Office of International Programs.

External Abroad Programs
Students may apply to participate in other approved study abroad programs. The university will accept credits earned abroad at approved institutions in accordance with its policy of accepting transfer credits. Approval of proposed study programs must be obtained from the Office of International Programs and the head of the academic unit in which the transfer credit will be awarded. Applications and program resources are available in the Office of International Programs.

Learning Resource Centers support the diverse learning and scholarship needs of students, faculty, and staff through exceptional comprehensive learning services in a student-focused and supportive environment. Our programs and services facilitate active engagement in the process of student learning and development.

The CRC provides resources and assistance with oral communication projects to the JMU community and promotes students' communication excellence in the areas of speech preparation and presentation, small group problem solving and interpersonal skills.

The University Writing Center helps writers help themselves by providing individualized instruction to students, faculty, and staff during any stage of the writing process. The University Writing Center actively supports writing across all disciplines and its Writing Consultants offer writers help with:

Learning Strategies Instruction (LSI) is the direct-instruction of curriculum-based strategies that are designed to improve the actual process of learning. Available to any student, LSI promotes learning efficiency in current courses. LSI is available in such areas as:

The Screening & Assessment Service is a one-hour interview looking at a broad range of historical, academic, study habits/skills, academic frustrations and emotional components. The screening will not yield a diagnosis, rather, it assists in the decision making process for recommending the next step in the process.

Student Success is the name of JMU's collaborative, campus-wide effort to coordinate programs and support services based on cohesive educational goals. Student Success focuses on academic achievement, career development, planning, decision-making and leadership development. Student Success programs are designed to help students assume responsibility for learning so they can complete seamless transitions into, through and out of the university.
The Wilson Learning Center houses the Office of Student Success Programs, Career and Academic Planning, Community Service-Learning, Orientation, University Information @ Wilson, Centennial Scholars, and the Learning Resource Centers: Disability Services, Reading and Writing Resource Center, Communication Studies Resource Center, and Science and Mathematics Learning Center. The On-Campus Recruiting Program, part of Career and Academic Planning, is located in Sonner Hall.

The Graduate School coordinates graduate and postgraduate education throughout the university. The JMU Graduate School was established in 1954 when the State Board of Education authorized the university to offer programs leading to the Master of Science in Education degree. There have been over 11,700 graduate degrees awarded to date, and enrollment growth and ongoing development of graduate programs of distinction are key strategic initiatives of the university.

It is the mission of The Graduate School to support, facilitate and promote excellence in lifelong education through graduate programs of distinction, innovative outreach programs, and a diverse student body.

The Graduate School is authorized to offer graduate programs leading to master's degrees, Educational Specialist degrees, Doctor of Audiology, Doctor of Philosophy degrees, Doctor of Psychology and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees. Many graduate programs also offer concentration areas. Refer to the Graduate Catalog for details or review this information electronically.

The Graduate School offers the following programs and degrees.

Accounting (M.S.)

Adult Education/Human Resource Development (M.S.Ed.)

Assessment and Measurement (Ph.D.)

Biology (M.S.)

Business Administration (M.B.A.)

College Student Personnel Administration (M.Ed.)

Combined - Integrated Clinical and School Psychology (Psy.D.)

Communication Sciences and Disorders (Clinical Audiology) (Au.D.)

Communication Sciences and Disorders (Ph.D.)

Communication Sciences and Disorders (M.S.)

Community Counseling (M.A./Ed.S.)

Computer Science (M.S.)

Education (M.A.T.)

Early Childhood Education

Education - Fifth year format (M.A.T.)

Elementary Education

Middle School Education

Secondary Education

Education (M.Ed.)

Educational Leadership

Educational Technology

Reading Education

English (M.A.)

Health Sciences (M.S.)

History (M.A.)

Integrated Science and Technology (M.S.)

Kinesiology - Fifth year format (M.A.T.)

Physical and Health Education

Kinesiology (M.S.)

Exercise Science

Sport and Recreation Leadership

Mathematics (M.Ed.)

Music (M.M.) (D.M.A.)

Nursing (M.S.N.)

Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.)

Physician Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.)

Political Science (M.A.)

European Union Policy Studies

Psychological Sciences (M.A.)

Public Administration (M.P.A.)

Public Administration - Fifth year format (M.P.A.)

School Counseling (M.Ed./Ed.S.)

School Psychology (M.A., Ed.S.)

Special Education (M.A.T., M.Ed.)

Special Education - Fifth year format (M.Ed.)

Speech Pathology (M.S.)

Studio Art (M.F.A., M.A.)

Technical and Scientific Communication (M.A., M.S.)

All graduate program inquiries should be addressed to:

The Graduate School
James Madison University
MSC 6702
Harrisonburg, VA 22807

The Office of Outreach Programs is part of Research and Public Service. Outreach Programs offers credit and noncredit programs as well as targeted one-time courses, certificate programs, and complete degree programs at a distance. The mission of Outreach Programs is to extend the resources of JMU beyond our campus by providing access to quality educational experiences through innovative approaches to those seeking to further their personal and professional development. Outreach Programs works with faculty, academic departments, students and community organizations to design, market and deliver a wide array of courses. Outreach Programs also oversees the enrollment of non-degree seeking students. Non-degree seeking students are individuals who enroll in offered credit courses but do not seek a degree.

Certificate Program Admission
Individuals who wish to pursue a certificate must apply to the program and be approved before registering for classes. Individuals must complete the Non-degree Seeking Student Application available online, select "Certificate" and the program to which they are applying. Virginia residents must also complete the "Checklist and Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates." A non-refundable $45 processing fee must accompany the application. Although certificate program students are considered non-degree seeking students, applicants for certificate programs need only complete the Non-degree Seeking Student Application once for the semester in which they wish to begin the program. Applications for certificate programs are forwarded to the appropriate academic unit for review, and applicants should check with the academic unit for additional application materials that may be required. A list of available certificate programs can be found at www.jmu.edu/outreach under "Certificate Programs."

Non-degree Seeking Student Admission
The non-degree seeking student classification includes adult non-degree students, high school non-degree students and teacher licensure students. Individuals seeking enrollment as a non-degree seeking student must complete the "Non-degree Seeking Student Application." Virginia residents must also complete the "Checklist and Application for Virginia In-state Tuition Rates." A non-refundable $15 processing fee must accompany the application. Non-degree seeking students must submit the application and processing fee each semester they enroll in courses. At the 600 level and above require approval by the appropriate department head. Non-degree seeking students can complete the non-degree student application and the in-state form by going online and clicking "Apply Online Now" or "Outreach Forms."

Students should register online during the dates identified for non-degree seeking students following the instructions on the Registrar's Web site and clicking "For Students" then "Registration Information Dates and Deadlines." Walk-in registration and course adjustments are also permitted for non-degree seeking students.

The courses taken in the non-degree seeking student category carry university credit, and they may be transferred into a graduate program, once admitted, at the discretion of the program. Taking courses as a non-degree seeking student does not constitute admission to a program or imply later applicability of these courses toward a degree. An individual who has been academically dismissed from JMU or another institution or denied regular undergraduate admission to JMU shall be required to wait for at least one calendar year for admission as a non-degree seeking student.

Non-credit Courses
JMU coordinates all non-credit instructional programs through Outreach Programs. These programs are available for supplementing and updating knowledge, skills and abilities. Some non-credit courses and workshops award continuing education units as a uniform measure of professional development and to signify the student has completed the course or workshop. Information on CEUs is available online by clicking "CEU Information." Information on non-credit course offerings and registration is available online by clicking "Noncredit Courses" or "Online Noncredit Courses." Additional information about Outreach Programs as well as other registration information can be accessed on Outreach Programs Web site.

Senior Citizen's Tuition Waiver
Legal residents of the State of Virginia who have reached 60 years of age before the beginning of an academic term and who have a taxable income that did not exceed $15,000 for the year proceeding the term may register for and enroll in courses as full-time or part-time students and pay no tuition but will incur a $15 application fee as well as fees established for the purpose of paying for course materials, such as laboratory fees. Senior citizens shall be subject to the admissions requirements of the institution and a determination by the institution of its ability to offer the course or courses for which the senior citizen registers. A senior citizen shall only be admitted to a course in which enrollment is sought after all tuition-paying students have been accommodated. A senior citizen tuition waiver form must be submitted to Outreach Programs to determine eligibility according to section 23-38:56 of the Code of Virginia.